Bhopal: It may be a bit difficult to believe but its true.
A Dalit student in Bhopal has benefitted from political rivalry between Union Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
As per a report in CNN-NEWS18, 13-year-old Kaushal Shakya was being looked after by the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) over the last three years.
This was apparently on the instructions of Rahul Gandhi.
However, now, Irani has ordered that he should be admitted to the 6th standard in a Central School with the HRD ministry issuing a special order dated April 6, 2016.
This enabled Kaushal, who lives in Gwal Mohalla slums in Bhopal's Rashanpura locality, to get admission to the best Central School in Bhopal.
As per the report, the boy, who was a newspaper vendor met Rahul outside the Congress state office on April 25, 2013.
“I met Rahul Gandhi while selling newspapers. I asked for one rupee, but he gave me a Rs 1000 note and asked me to keep that. I refused, and then he asked me about my schooling. I said I did not go to school as my father is a labourer,” Shakya was quoted by the website as saying.
Post the meeting, Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh got a job for a member of the family.
The monthly salary was Rs 4000.
This helped in Kaushal's education but later he dropped out from school.
The report says that its not clear as to how Irani came to know of the whole situation.
However, later she got him admitted to the Central school.
Accusing the HRD Minister of revenge politics, Congress' KK Mishra said, "This is because of her frustration of losing the Lok Sabha election to Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.”
But Hitesh Bajpai, state spokesperson of the BJP, was quoted as saying by the website, “Whether it is Kaushal or Kalavati, Rahul Gandhi has always mocked at Dalits and poor of this country. He should thank Smriti Irani for this welcome step, and he should also apologise."
Meanwhile, Kaushal has only this to say - "I am thankful to Smriti Irani ji for my admission in a Central School."
On the other hand, the boy's father Dulichand Shakya said - “The Congress did whatever they could do. I think the BJP is paying us attention to create an impact. One is trying to pull us this way, and another is pushing us that way. And we are stuck at the centre."
